Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Southeastern Asia
Types
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Number of Varieties
Not Available
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
10-11
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Twisted/Contorted
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
Ivory
White, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Not Available
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Not Available
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Shape
Compound
V-Shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
No pruning needed
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Not Available
Fragrant Bark/Stem
Yes
No
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Aphids, Bugs, Not Available, Snails
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Edible Uses
Sometimes
Yes
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Medicinal Uses
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BURSERA simaruba
ALOCASIA micholitziana
Common Name
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
Elephant Ear, Taro
In Hindi
Bursera simaruba
अरवी
In German
Bursera simaruba
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
In French
Bursera simaruba
Colocasia
In Spanish
Bursera simaruba
Colocasia
In Greek
Bursera simaruba
Colocasia
In Portuguese
Bursera simaruba
Colocasia
In Polish
Bursera simaruba
Kolokazja
In Latin
Bursera simaruba
Colocasia
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Liliopsida
Family
Burseraceae
Araceae
Clade
Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Not Available
Colocasiodeae
Subfamily
Not Available
Aroideae
Number of Species
Not Available
Importance of Gumbo Limbo and Taro
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Gumbo Limbo and Taro. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Gumbo Limbo and Taro as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Gumbo Limbo is Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and Headache whereas of Taro is Aging, Laxative and Weight loss. Gumbo Limbo has beauty benefits as follows: Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics and Removes pimples while Taro has beauty benefits as follows: Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics and Removes pimples.
Compare Facts of Gumbo Limbo vs Taro
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Gumbo Limbo vs Taro and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Gumbo Limbo are allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching and Vomiting whereas of Taro have Swelling in mouth and Throat itching respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Gumbo Limbo has showy fruits and Taro has no showy fruits. Also Gumbo Limbo is not flowering and Taro is not flowering . You can compare Gumbo Limbo and Taro facts and facts of other plants too.